Subject: GhostsFromThePast.2

From: "Colin J. Wynne" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 16:51:23 +0500 (EST)

This story is property of:
				Colin J. Wynne
				P.O. Box 4661
				Lexington, VA 24450
				(703) 464-4030
				[email-masked]

Permission is given to distribute this story freely as long as this header
is included with all files/hardcopies/electronic postings.

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"Ghosts from the Past," Ch. 3 through Ch. 7:
--------------------------------------------

                           CHAPTER III

     "Permission to lead an away team aboard, sir."
     "Lt. Worf, scan that ship."
     "Complete life support failure, toxic substances, apparently 
engine waste."
     "Any signs of life at all?"
     "None, sir."
     "All right, Number One.  But be careful.  Mr. Data, what do 
you know of that Enterprise."
     Data at the Ops module seemed to look inwardly for a moment, 
then responded.  "NCC 1701-C was launched on Stardate 11692, the 
first of the Alaska class transwarp battlecruisers.  The ship 
served with distinction during the Federation-Klingon War, for 
which it was built.  On approximately Stardate 15500, she was 
loaned to the Exploration Fleet for a ten year survey mission.  
Less than three years later, she sent a distress signal to 
Starbase 67 and was never heard from again."
     "Starbase 67?  That's toward the galactic centre!  Over..."
     "Ten thousand light years away," offered the android.
     "Yes..."  Picard was now absorbed in thought.  He had hardly 
noticed Riker and Worf leaving.  Moments later, the intercom 
chirped.
     "Captain, I am taking Mr. LaForge and Lt. Worf along with a 
small science team.  Prepared for departure."
     "Good luck, Number One."

     The small group materialised near the engineering section of 
the battlecruiser.  Their phasers were at their side, for they did 
not expect to have to use them, and their mouths were covered with 
small respirator devices.  Each had a concentrated supply of 
oxygen clipped at their waist.
     "Geordi, what do you make of this?"
     The Engineering Officer was already at the control panels, 
reactivating them to call up system displays.
     "Barely any power left in the system, Commander.  Transwarp 
engines completely degenerated, batteries minimal.  The ship is 
almost completely shutdown."
     "How about life support?"
     "It took some heavy damage.  Looks like she was in a fight.  
They couldn't have repaired it by themselves."
     "And the toxic residue?"
     "The waste systems around the intermix chamber were ruptured.  
All of the stuff that should have been vented to space flowed into 
the circulation system."
     "All right, let's head for the bridge."

     While the away team was being assembled, the Enterprise, NCC 
1701-D, sent word to all of the training ships.
     Kevar was at his console, still, scanning the rest of the 
system, despite the fact that the games had been suspended.  He 
heard Krond's voice address the squadron.
     "This is Commander Krond to all ships.  Pull back from the 
target to a position behind Enterprise.  Do not interfere."
     Kevar heard the rasping breath of his own commander behind 
him.  "All right, Kevar.  Now just what the hell have you gotten 
us into this time? I should have left you in the brig."
     Kevar had had enough.  "Or listened to my initial contact 
report," he growled back.  Even as the last word left his lips, he 
realised that a mere twenty years ago he would have been shot on 
the spot for that remark.
     As it was now, though, the commander simply hauled him by his 
collar out of his chair.  "You dare be insubordinate?"  The 
backhand sent Kevar sprawling back over his chair.
     "Guard!  Remove this scum to the brig until further notice!"

     Without power for the turbolifts or artificial gravity, the 
away team had to climb several decks worth of ladders in freefall 
to reach the bridge.  The last ladder terminated in a hatchway 
directly in front of the command module, that is, the helm and nav 
stations, on the bridge.  Geordi was through first, and he used 
his VISOR to allow him to find the controls for the emergency 
lights.
     Riker emerged from the hatch into a large compartment bathed 
in eerie red lights which illuminated several very dead corpses.  
He heard a gasp from one of the scientists.  Worf moved to the 
security monitor station, and the technicians moved to various 
consoles around the bridge.
     Satisfied that everyone was doing what they could, Riker 
tapped his insignia communicator.  "Riker to Enterprise."
     "Picard here.  Report, Number One."
     "No sign of the crew, Captain, except on the bridge."
     "What did you find?"
     "Sir, the bodies of a dozen officers are scattered about.  
Request that you beam them to the Enterprise for autopsies."
     "Standby."  There was a brief pause, then the bodies 
shimmered and disappeared.  "Oh my..."
     "Yes, Captain.  Mr. LaForge is attempting to restore some 
power, and the tech crew is trying to recover the ship's log."
     "What exactly is the status of the ship, Number One."
     "Warp engines are unpowered, phasers almost completely empty 
and photon torpedoes depleted.  There are signs of battle all 
over."
     "Very well.  Let me know when you have the log recordings."
     "Understood, sir.  Riker out."

     Dr. Pulaski wasn't told why she was being summoned to 
sickbay, so she was more than slightly taken aback when she was 
led by a technician to a quarantine room in which she found 
eleven dried and hardened bodies in old-style Starfleet maroon 
tunics and black trousers.
     "What is this?" she asked, after collecting herself.  Picard, 
who had met her in the sickbay, explained.
     "Doctor, that is all that remains of the crew of the 
Enterprise."
     She, currently unaware of the nature of the discovery, did a 
not very exaggerated doubletake.  "The Ent-"
     "Allow me to explain, Dr. Pulaski."
     Five minutes later, the doctor was nodding gravely, now fully 
informed.
     "Since I wanted you to perform an autopsy on the bodies, I 
thought it best to bypass normal decontamination procedures."  
Usually, the transporter would automatically cleanse returning 
bodies of all forms of disease of microorganisms.  "That's why 
they were beamed straight to the quarantine room."
     "Very well, Captain.  I'll let you know as soon as my 
examination is complete.

     "Any luck with the logs yet, Commander?"
     Riker looked up from his position underneath the 
Communications station where he was assisting one of the techs
in repairing the top of the console, which looked like a rushed 
jury-rig job to begin with.
     "We've accessed the computers, Captain, but the memory has 
been horribly scrambled.  We're trying to piece things together.  
Only one log entry appears to have been made after the ship docked 
at Starbase 67, and there's nothing out of the ordinary in it."
     "I see.  What else can you do then?"
     "Geordi?"
     "The problem right now is in sorting out the memory.  We 
think we have all the pertinent log entries, and that there just 
isn't anything that we're looking for.  So now we have to sort out 
the flight recorder visuals and see what they tell us."
     "Fine.  I'll check in with you later, then."
     "Oh, Captain."
     "Yes, Mr. LaForge?"
     "There is one important thing that we do know."
     "And what is that?"
     "There are definitely logs and recordings extending for quite 
some time after the distress signal.  We just can't sort them out 
yet."
     "Interesting."

     Captain Picard was pacing.  He didn't realise he was doing it 
until he noticed Data swinging his had back and forth in study of 
his captain, as though there were a tennis game on the bridge.  
Picard stopped near the railing on the upper level of the bridge.  
     "Mr. Data, access the computer and find out everything about 
the Enterprise-C."  He actually pronounced the 'dash C'.
     "Aye, sir."  Soon the android was a short distance directly 
behind Picard, calling up information at the Science station.
     "There is not that much usable information on the vessel, 
Captain.  Mostly technical information, background, et cetera."
     "Give me some of that, then."
     "The Alaska class battlecruisers were the second ship type 
outfitted with Transwarp drive.  They were designed as firepower 
platforms for the Federation-Klingon War, but, in keeping with 
Starfleet practice, they were provided with more than adequate 
research facilities, hence, the reassignment of some of them to 
the E-Fleet when their own ships were being upgraded to 
Transwarp."
     "Mr. Data, you mentioned before that they sent out a distress 
signal.  Was there a voice report that went with it?"
     "Searching.  Ah, here it is.  Indeed, sir, there was a 
message from the ship's captain, one Valeriy Alexandrovich 
Romanov."
     "Now we have something!  Do you have the text?"
     "Yes, sir.  But it's incomplete.  The message was cut off at 
the source."
     "Give me what you have."
     "It says only, 'We are being buffeted by strange energies 
that-' and it cuts off."
     "Pulaski to bridge."
     "This is the Captain.  Go ahead, Doctor."
     "I'm afraid I have no real news, Captain.  You did say there 
were poisons in the atmosphere of the ship?"
     "Yes, Doctor."
     "Well, that is what killed these men and women.  Poison and 
oxygen deprivation.  There is no indication of any sort of disease 
or bacteria."
     "Thank you anyway, Doctor.  Would you please see to it that 
the bodies are prepared for proper burial?"
     "Of course, Captain.  Out."
     "Sir, signal from the away team."

     "Commander Riker, any success yet?"
     "A partial one at least, sir."
     "Meaning?"
     "We know why Captain Romanov sent out the distress signal, 
but not what happened to the ship and the crew.  We're 
transmitting the flight recorder now."
     Riker watched the main viewer of the battlecruiser's bridge 
as Picard stared intently at his ship's own viewscreen.  They both 
saw Enterprise-C leave Starbase 67 on a routine patrol.  The ship 
received a transmission from the base, and shortly thereafter 
encounter an area of 'strange energies', Picard thought, quoting 
the distress message.
     The flight recorder replayed in every detail the fateful day 
in which the last Enterprise came so close to escaping sure 
disaster, only to be sucked down into the vortex of a rip in the 
fabric of space.  The last thing recorded was a brilliant flash of 
light.
     Geordi spoke into his communicator as the screen faded to 
black.  "Whatever happened when they went through that...rip," he 
said, coining the word used by the battlecruiser's Science 
Officer, one of the bodies beamed back to the Enterprise, "is what 
fouled the memory.  The images after the breakthrough are 
scrambled even worse.  It's going to take a lot of time to figure 
out just what happened."
     "Captain," interjected Riker, "our life support belts are 
running low.  We're going to return to the ship before continuing 
over here."
     "Very good, Number One.  Good work.  I'll see you for a 
personal report after you return.  Picard out."
     Riker tapped his communicator.  "Enterprise, away team to 
beam back.  Energise."

                            CHAPTER IV

     "Captain's Log, Stardate 42916.1:  After several hours, the 
training simulations remain suspended, due to the fact that our 
discovery of the previous starship Enterprise still is foremost in
consuming our time.
     "I have sent a dispatch to Starfleet informing them of recent 
events.  I await their response, but, in the mean while, Commander 
Riker will go back aboard the battlecruiser with an engineering 
team to work on the ship's life support systems.  Lt. LaForge's 
assessment is that, although the original crew would have been 
unable to repair the damage, with the technology available aboard 
the Enterprise, that is Enterprise-D, repairs are possible.
     "With any luck, by the time that Starfleet takes action of 
its own, we shall have the ship functional."
     Picard switched off the log recorder as the First Officer's 
form was suddenly standing in the doorway to the Captain's Ready 
Room.  The look on his face was akin to that of a child with a 
brand new toy.
     "Commander, I've just finished my log entry."
     "Heard from Starfleet yet?"
     "Not yet, Number One.  Return message should come within the 
next hour, though."
     "Well, I'm here for the report you wanted."
     "I think we can make this brief.  You look anxious to 
return."
     Riker smiled broadly.  "Yes indeed, Captain."

     Forty minutes later, Riker materialised on Enterprise-C's 
engineering deck, where a dozen technicians were already hard at 
work on the fused and melted life support machinery.  At random 
intervals, parts were beamed over from Enterprise-D to replace the 
destroyed equipment.
     It had taken Riker about a half an hour to recap the away 
team's findings to the Captain, during which he had been at pains 
to keep still while Picard pressed him for every trifling detail 
that he could remember.  Of course, none of it was very important, 
but Riker guessed that the Captain was jealous of not being able 
to go aboard her himself.
     Riker, not being an engineer, really did not belong back on 
the ship overseeing the repair crew, but, as Picard had so easily 
noted, he wanted to be back aboard.  So, while the technicians 
worked, Will Riker, along with Data and Geordi, began a full 
inspection of the rest of the ship, starting, of course, in 
Engineering.
     "What is it, Geordi?"
     "Well, Commander, it's just that most of my training has been 
with more modern technology, Ultrawarp systems."
     "What exactly are you saying?"
     "I'm not the person to be working on this sort of equipment."
     "So, who do you suggest?"
     "Commander, there are two people I know of who have an 
excellent knowledge of Transwarp technology."
     "And who would that be?"
     "Wesley and Lt. Argyle."
     "Interesting combination there.  I suppose Mr. Crusher is 
available, but..."
     "We can at least put in a request to Starfleet."
     "I suppose."  He tapped his communicator.  "Riker to 
Enterprise."
     "Picard here.  Yes, Number One."
     "Captain, I have a request to make.  Actually, two requests."
     There was a brief pause before Picard responded, made curious 
by the almost whimsical tone in Riker's voice.  "And what would 
they be?"
     "I need two officers with knowledge of Transwarp engineering, 
Acting-Ensign Crusher and Lt. Argyle."
     "I'll see what I can do, Number One."

    Captain Picard folded down the comm panel on the arm of his 
chair.  He turned his head to address Counselor Troi.
     "That's quite some request that Cmdr. Riker has made."
     Troi was a little distracted.  "Yes, I suppose.  But, 
Captain, may I suggest that you keep an eye on him."
     "What do you mean, Counselor?"
     "It's just that he's so eager to be on the other ship that he 
might work himself too hard, to exhaustion."
     "I know what you mean.  I wouldn't mind taking a visit 
myself."
     Troi smiled.  "Well, it would be the Captain's prerogative to 
inspect the discovered ship after the first officer has made his 
tour."
     "It is at that.  Thank you, Counselor."
     "Sir."  Worf's bass rumble caught the Captain's attention 
immediately.  "Message from Starfleet."
     "Excellent.  On screen, Lieutenant."
     A face swam onto the screen.  "Captain Picard, this is 
Admiral Syltek of Starfleet Command."
     Syltek's pointed ears were almost hidden behind his cropped 
dark brown hair.  Though he appeared as cool and dispassionate as 
any Vulcan, his eyes somehow seemed softened through years of 
contact with humans.  Syltek was a rather famous persona in 
Starfleet, having commanded the deep space explorer Intrepid 
(third all Vulcan crewed ship to bear that name) on a fifteen year 
mission towards the center of the galaxy.
     "Yes, sir."
     "The Operations Council has reached a decision concerning the 
discovery of U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701-C.  The ships currently 
engaged in training exercises with your ship are to be released, 
whereupon they will resume normal operations.
     "A support ship is being dispatched to provide a skeleton 
crew for the battlecruiser and to repower its Transwarp engines.  
You will proceed at best speed to Starbase 42.  You will try to 
complete as much in the way of repairs as possible before 
arriving.  Would you like an officer assigned to command the 
ship?"
     "I don't think that will be necessary.  My First Officer, 
Cmdr. Riker, will be more than happy to fill that role."
     "You recommend him, then?"
     "I do indeed, sir."
     "Fine.  Do you have any questions, Captain?"
     "Just one, Admiral.  The previous Chief Engineer aboard the 
Enterprise, one Lt. Argyle, I have just been informed is rather 
adept at Transwarp engineering.  Could he possibly be assigned to 
assist my crew?"
     "Just a moment, Captain."  Syltek looked aside for a moment, 
apparently checking something.  He turned again to face the 
viewer's pickup.  "Captain, it would appear that you are in luck.  
Mr. Argyle is the Chief Engineer assigned to the supply ship.  He 
is the best Transwarp Engineer in the sector."
     "Excellent.  And when will they arrive?"
     "ETA is thirty-eight hours, Captain Picard.  Good luck."
     "Thank you."
     The screen returned to its usual white-speckled midnight.  
"Lt. Worf, would you please get me Mr. Crusher at Starbase 42?"
     "Aye, sir."
     It took several minutes, because Wesley had to be called from 
one of the Dr. Crusher's seminars.  Eventually, though, he arrived 
at the comm center of the Starbase.
     "Yes, Captain?"
     "Mr. Crusher, a rather interesting situation has come up."
     Picard explained.
     "Wow!  That's amazing, sir."
     "Mr. LaForge has informed us that you are well versed in 
Transwarp technology."
     "Yes, sir."
     "Cmdr. Riker has requested your presence on his team aboard 
Enterprise-C to assist the engineering team."
     Although it was only a voice message, Picard could still tell 
that the youth was debating with himself.  By this time, though, 
his mother had finished her lecture and arrived in the comm room.  
Picard could hear a tech giving her the lowdown in hushed tones.  
Picard could picture the selfless Dr. Crusher telling her son to 
go, that she would still see him when they came back to the 
Starbase.
     "Captain?"
     "Yes, Mr. Crusher.  Have you decided?"
     "Is the next available shuttle soon enough?"
     "That it is, Mr. Crusher."

     The trio was still walking the corridors of Enterprise-C, 
taking note of everything as they went.  It was obvious the ship 
had been in a battle.  It wasn't that the ship was badly damaged, 
just that there were signs of damage all over.  Electrical and 
circuit damage, scorch marks on the hull and breaches in some 
places that had been sealed off or covered over.
     "This is a very well designed ship," commented Geordi.  "I 
mean, look at this!  We've seen almost a dozen tears in the outer 
hull, and it's hardly affected her capabilities.  Why, I'll bet if 
that one lucky hit hadn't taken out the recyclers and the waste 
disposal, the ship would have easily been able to make it back to 
base."
     "But none of that helps explain what happened to her."
     "Sir," interjected Data from the door of a nearby cabin.
     "What is it, Data?"
     "Look at this."
     The other two showed up.  Data, with his android strength, 
easily shoved the door open despite the lack of power.  They were 
using portable lights because there was hardly enough power in the 
ship to run the portable machinery the engineers had brought 
along.  Gravity was something else entirely.  The ship was in 
freefall.
     Inside, the cabin was untouched.  A few objects had floated 
free of their resting places, but, otherwise, the quarters looked 
as though they were waiting for their occupant to return from a 
normal day's work.
     "Interesting."
     They continued through the ship, finding the same thing 
everywhere, evidences of a rather sudden departure.  By the time 
they reached the lower levels of the ship, the two humans were 
ready to bounce their heads off of bulkheads in frustration, and 
Data just kept mumbling,  "Curious...fascinating...puzzling," et 
cetera.
     Finally, they found what they were looking for.  Rather, Data 
found it while Will and Geordi were searching through the cargo 
modules.
     "Commander, I believe that I have an answer for us."
     Riker and LaForge propelled themselves from the module that 
they were examining and sailed across the large, wide-open space 
of the cargo deck.
     "What'd you find, Data?"
     He was standing next to an access panel (without power, of 
course), one of dozens around that level, the ones above and 
below, and the hangar decks.
     "Sir, these portals open up to the ship's lifeboats.  This 
one would appear to have been used, as were the rest of the ones 
on this level."
     "Geordi, let's check this out.  I'll take the hanger area;  
Geordi, you go up, Data, down."
     "Aye, sir," they said as one.
     Ten minutes later, they reconvened.  "All gone, sir."
     "I found the same, Commander.  But there were six left."
     "Me too.  So, now we know where they crew went, or, at least, 
why they aren't here."
     Geordi was slightly confused.  "You know, for all the brain-
racking we've been doing, this is a pretty obvious answer.  How'd 
we miss it?"
     "When the Enterprise approached, we came in from the top, so 
we didn't notice the boats' absence.  All the lifeboats are on the 
bottom of the hull.  And this is the first time anyone has been 
down towards the keel."
     "But what about the bodies we found?" asked Geordi.
     "If I may, sir?"  asked Data.  Will nodded.  "It would seem 
that the life support failure forced the evacuation of the crew.  
Since the ship was almost entirely intact, and in such close 
proximity to the Klingon border which was probably still suffering 
from post-War disputes, the captain found it necessary to self-
destruct."
     "How do we know that the ship came here that close to the 
time of departure?"
     "We do not, sir.  However, if we assume that the officers 
stayed behind to initiate destruction, then it can be reasoned 
that they at least thought they were in disputed territory."
     "Circular logic, Data."
     "Yes, sir, but we don't have much to go on.  But if they 
stayed behind to activate destruction with hopes of escaping 
afterward, then the sudden release of poisonous engine waste could 
have killed them before they could reach the computer."
     "Well, it makes sense.  If so, Starfleet will have to send 
out a survey mission to look for survivors or their descendants."
     "That is up to Starfleet to decide."
     "Hmmm, yes.  All right, let's report to the Captain."

                            CHAPTER V

     "Captain's Log, Stardate 42919.3:  We are currently awaiting 
the arrival of a Starfleet supply vessel to assist in the 
restoration of Enterprise-C.  Before it gets here, though, I have 
one very sad duty to perform - the burial at space of that ship's 
officers.
     "Although none of the crew of the present Enterprise knew 
these men and women, nor, am I aware, are any of their descendants 
aboard, this most unwelcome of shipboard services serves as a 
profound reminder of the dangers of exploration.  Indeed, the 
ships that we use have become more and more advanced, but every 
mission that we undertake only firms up my conviction that the 
dangers have also."

     Wesley looked up from his work.  Geordi had put him in charge 
of repairing the dilithium reactor, which was necessary to 
restoring power to the ship.  Dilithium crystals more than doubled 
the energy output of an anti-matter reaction, and allowed the 
efficiency of the process to become greater than 100%.  That was 
how a ship could regenerate its power.
     He secured the top of the housing and then waited patiently 
for the revolving airlock to cycle.  When he was outside he tapped 
his communicator.  "Geordi, this is Wes.  I'm done here."
     "Okay.  Come on into the vertical intermix compartment.  
We're ready to try a startup."
     Wes jumped and sailed up one deck to the main engineering 
level. Having not had much practice with weightlessness, Wesley 
found himself scrambling for the handrails at the top of the 
ladder.  After finally recovering himself, he managed to float 
through to the main engine room.
     Geordi was standing over the control panel located at the 
base of the vertical intermix shaft, a tall crystalline looking 
tube that stretched up several decks towards the impulse deck.  
Aft from the console was a similar structure, running back along 
the ship's axis where it eventually split to connect the two huge 
Transwarp nacelles.
     The whole setup was similar enough to a Galaxy class ship 
that Geordi could recognise everything, but the specifics were 
different enough that he found himself riddled with doubts about 
everything that his crew had done.
     He caught Wesley out of the corner of his eye.  "Is 
everything ready?"
     "I think so, Geordi.  We took a few of the crystals out of 
the Enterprise and brought them over here."
     "Well, between the two of us, I hope we haven't forgotten 
anything."
     Wes did a mental checklist, comparing it against everything 
that had been done, and he also gave a quick look around the 
engine assembly as well.  "No, nothing forgotten.  Are they all 
set up at impulse?"
     "Yeah.  Those backup fusion reactors have really come in 
handy supplying power for all of our equipment.  I'm beginning to 
wonder if Starfleet shouldn't still be incorporating them into 
ship designs."
     "Well, recommend it to them after we have this ship running," 
said Wes with a smile.
     "All right.  LaForge to impulse deck."
     "Yes, Lieutenant?"
     "Begin final checklist and countdown to ignition."
     "Counting down."
     Geordi's hands moved across the board.  The motions were not 
as smooth and fluid as they would have been on the controls he was 
used to working.
     Five minutes passed, and all the while Geordi's eyes were 
riveted to the system displays.  He breathed in sharply, and 
said, "Everything ready?"
     "All set, Lieutenant."
     "Here goes."  A final series of switches and things started 
happening.  The few shipboard systems that were operating dimmed 
almost to blackness.  The effect was then broken as lightning 
coursed through the intermix shaft.  After several seconds, it 
happened again.  Then again and again, until the center of the 
hexagonal glass tube was a pulsating stream of light.
     The silence was pierced by the whine of the energisers.  
Geordi exhaled the breath he had been holding as the lights came 
back on again.  Wesley smiled as well as he felt his weight settle 
to the deck.  Consoles all over the room were starting to come to 
life.
     "Ignition is go on main impulse units."  Geordi's smile now 
beamed from his face.
     "Enterprise, this is Lt. LaForge.  We have main power start-
up on both engines."
     Picard's voice answered almost immediately.  "Excellent, 
Lieutenant!  What comes next, then?"
     "Well, sir, we're going to restore power and life support to 
critical areas, as well as some living spaces for the skeleton 
crew.  Other than that, we have to wait for the supply ship."
     "What exactly for, Mr. LaForge?"
     "You see, although we restarted the matter/anti-matter 
reaction in the nacelles, we simply can't restore power above 
bare minimum levels.  The supply ship will be able to recharge 
the ship to 100% capacity."
     "Very well.  Picard out."
     Meanwhile, Wes was walking - thank god for the gravity - 
around the compartment.  "This ship is in great shape for 
something almost eighty years old."
     "I'll bet I know what happened.  After they all either 
abandoned ship or died from the poison, the ship probably shut 
itself down.  You know, put itself into mothballs, sort of.  All 
of the computers get shut down, all the doors sealed."
     "Makes sense.  Let's finish up around here, okay?"

     Riker, Data, Geordi, Wes, and others from Enterprise-C's crew 
were gathered in the forward photon torpedo room on the 
battlecruiser.  They stood silently as the magnetic loading track 
carried eleven coffins into the firing chamber, four on each 
outboard, three on the center tube.  A viewscreen at the aft end 
of the room showed Captain Picard standing on his bridge, looking 
quite sombre.
     When he spoke, his voice was carried all over both ships.  
Despite the informality that had come to represent Starfleet crew 
interactions in preceding generations, shipboard funerals remained 
stiff and, to some extent, military, in nature.
     "Attention.  It is my sad duty now to lay to rest the senior 
officers, and, in a larger sense, the entire crew as well, of NCC 
1701-C, U.S.S. Enterprise.  This ship, which possesses the same 
name as our ship, also possessed a crew very much like yourselves.
     "They were explorers, as are you, and their loss reminds all 
of us of our own mortality.  They are kindred in soul if not in 
lineage, and that is why I feel this loss more than perhaps would 
be expected.
     "I do not say all of this to make you in any way fear the 
exciting and necessary work that we do.  Rather, I want to give 
you inspiration for all that lies ahead.  It is people like this 
who we help with our work.  The unending quest for knowledge helps 
to prevent recurrences of these such happenings.
     "I now ask all of you to give a moment's silence in memory of 
these brave souls."
     Riker, standing at attention, heard only the faint hum of 
machinery, the air vents, the cooling units for the torpedo tubes, 
et cetera.  After several minutes of reflection, the Captain spoke 
again.  "Orders, up!"
     One by one, the photorps were fired from the battlecruiser's 
bow, balls of orange light hurtling toward the nearby star.
     On his bridge, Picard was standing next to Troi.  "Company, 
at ease and resume your duties."  
     The main viewscreen tracked the receding fiery orbs.  The 
Counselor said to Picard, "They were very moved by your words."
     "I am glad for that.  I have not had to do this very often, 
fortunately, only for..."
     "You are upset.  Were you thinking of Wesley's father?"
     Picard shook his head, not in negation, but to physically try 
and clear the thought from his head.  "Never mind.  Lt. Worf, 
begin final preparations for the arrival of the support ship.  
Inform Commander Riker to do likewise."

     A few hours later, Riker was on the bridge of the 
battlecruiser.  The supply ship had just come out of warp and was 
manoeuvring towards the two Enterprises.  It had hailed first 
Captain Picard and then Commander Riker, under the name of 
Kaibatsu.
     The Kaibatsu moved close abeam of the battlecruiser, slowly, 
using reaction control thrusters.  It was an ungainly looking 
ship, short, wide nacelles straddling an ovular secondary hull, 
only half the length of Enterprise-C's own.  The primary hull was 
thick and relatively short, a very squashed sphere resting on the 
fat end of the oval.
     "U.S.S. Kaibatsu calling Commander Riker.  Permission to 
attach a tractor beam to your ship?"
     "Go ahead, Kaibatsu."
     From the bottom of the converted freighter's primary hull 
emerged a small ball mounted device.  The beam connected to 
Enterprise-C's main dorsal, and the two ships moved slowly 
together, starboard to the battlecruiser's port.  Most ships' 
gangways are located on the port side of the primary hull, so the 
supply ships are modified to house the facility starboard.
     Kaibatsu's gangway hatch extended and affixed itself to 
Enterprise-C's.  The computer's confirmed the linkage, and the 
tremendous doors were pulled open into the ships' hulls.
     "Docking complete, Enterprise.  Standing by to connect power 
couplings."
     Riker answered.  "Let's just get the crew settled first.  If 
I'm not mistaken, the connection will require extravehicular 
activity?"
     "Yes it will, Commander."
     "Just so, then.  We'll move the people first."

     Picard had most of his crew back aboard now, although Riker 
had retained a few leading ensigns to serve aboard the prize ship.  
That was how it was being treated, really, like captured territory 
with Riker as prize captain.  Will didn't mind that at all.
     Right now, he was in the ship's observation lounge near the 
top of the primary hull facing aft.  Small spacesuited figures 
danced about the two ships, fastening dozens of wires, hoses, and 
other connectors between the two ships.
     Captain Picard had just completed his inspection of the ship, 
and had ordered Data back aboard Picard's own ship to take the 
conn in his absence.  That thought caught Riker by surprise, 
because if he thought of Enterprise-D as Picard's ship, then he 
was starting to think of the other vessel as his ship.
     "Well, Number One, as soon as they're finished, we'll be able 
to proceed toward Starbase."
     "It's not quite that simple, sir.  Lt. Argyle has informed me 
that it will be about six hours before the impulse drives are 
usable."
     "I thought that the engines were already operational."
     "The engines, yes.  They're producing power.  But there isn't 
enough power yet to activate the drives and actually move the 
ship."
     "Ah.  I see.  Starfleet Command needs someone to be put in 
charge of this crew.  After all, this has now become an actual 
command, and not just an away team."
     Riker almost succeeded at masking his disappointment.  Seeing 
the barest of changes in his First Officer's face, Picard allowed 
a devious smile to cross his.  This only served to turn Riker's 
ill feelings toward anger.  "I see," he managed at last through 
clenched teeth.
     "Admiral Syltek asked me to recommend someone."
     Picard still sported that grin; that and his tone of voice 
served to pique Riker's curiosity.  "And what did you say, sir?"
     "I told him that there was no need to send in someone, 
because I have an outstandingly capable officer more than willing 
to serve in that capacity right here already."
     "Thank you, sir."
     Picard's smile widened further.  "Ensign Crusher."
     "What!"
     Picard broke into laughter.  "On behalf of Starfleet, I would 
like to inform you that NCC 1701-C has been temporarily 
recommissioned, and offer you command of her and the restoration 
crew."
     "Sir, I know I've been offered command of my own ship before, 
and that my loyalty to you and the Enterprise eventually made me 
decide to decline, but for a temporary assignment, I'd be proud to 
accept this offer.  It will be an honor to serve alongside you and 
the Enterprise."
     Picard extended his hand.  "Which Enterprise would that be, 
Number One?  You, too, command a vessel of that name."
     "I don't think that we'll have trouble telling the two ships 
apart, sir."
     "I must return now, I think.  Is there anything I can do to 
assist you in this assignment?"
     "Yes.  I will be needing some officers over here."
     "Who did you have in mind, Commander?"
     "With your permission, I'd like to retain Wesley to assist 
Lt. Argyle in Engineering."
     "Of course."
     "I think that Worf might find a chance to indulge himself in 
his warrior background by helping aboard a battlecruiser.  Besides, 
he has trained as a helmsman, hasn't he?"
     "Yes, indeed.  I think we could spare him.  Anyone else?"
     "I think that I should have Mr. Data, because of the amount 
of work that will have to be done on the computers."
     Picard debated the last.  "Who will that leave me to serve as 
first officer in your absence?"
     "I thought you might bring that up, and I think I might have 
an answer.  As Chief Engineer, Geordi is in the chain of command.    
He would do well to serve as a bridge officer for a while.  As 
more than a helmsman, that is."
     "What about his duties as Engineer, though?"
     "I think that he could serve for the required week or so on 
the bridge without compromising his post."
     "All right, then.  Since this is a decidedly low-risk 
mission, I'll send Data and Worf over as soon as I return.  Do you 
have your crew settled in yet?"
     "Aye, sir.  They're working round the clock in standard 
watches.  General repairs right now, until we have power for 
anything else."
     "Good, good.  Let me know when you can be underway, and we'll 
be moving."

                            CHAPTER VI

     "Captain's Log, Stardate 42920.4:  We have been underway for 
twelve hours now at half impulse power, and I am pleased to say 
that no unforeseen problems have arisen.  The Kaibatsu is still 
transferring power aboard from her special Transwarp reactors.  I 
am told that because of the different nature of the systems, 
Transwarp and Ultrawarp energy are not interchangeable.
     "By keeping the unused living quarters without power, we are 
able to run the ship at some semblance of normal operations.  
Although it will take less than a day to completely recharge the 
ship, our orders from Starfleet insist on proceeding at impulse 
for three more days before beginning warp field dynamics 
simulations.
     "Otherwise, the Enterprise runs smoothly, and I am content to 
be her captain for as long - or short - as necessary."
     Riker clicked off the log recorder just as Argyle was 
stepping out of the turbolift.  "Enjoy doing that, Captain Riker?"
     Will returned the playful smile.  "How are things in 
Engineering?"
     "The mains are on standby.  That means we could use them, but 
the supply officer insists on putting off warp tests; if we 
started now, we'd be ready to go to warp by the time we're 
repowered."  The engineer saw the look on Riker's face.  "But I 
guess you don't want me to rush them, now do you?"
     "Lieutenant, after all this ship is eighty years old!  What 
will another three days matter to her.  And we should be as 
careful as possible."
     "Of course, sir."
     "Argyle?"
     "Yes, sir?"
     "Shouldn't you be doing something in Engineering?"
     "Yes, sir."

     Picard gazed at the viewscreen.  It was fixed on the mated 
forms of the two other ships.  The battlecruiser had elegant lines 
that he found very pleasing to just look at.  
     The primary hull was smooth, a cross between the disc shape 
of older designs and the newer style like on Enterprise-D.' The 
dorsal was a triangle, with the base near the impulse engines on 
top.  It was an odd looking arrangement, but not ugly.  The 
secondary hull was shaped like a ducks body, wide and shallow, 
tapering at the back.
     The engines were long and thin, almost doubling the length of 
the ship, as opposed to the wide, flat, and short nacelles on a 
Galaxy class.
     Picard smiled inwardly as he also noticed the ugly duckling, 
the Kaibatsu, moored alongside the beautiful swan.  The captain's 
reverie was interrupted by the science officer's voice.
     "Captain, I'm getting some strange energy readings."
     "What is the source, Ensign?"
     "I can't quite tell, sir.  It seems to be...all around us."
     "It's just there?"
     "Aye.  All around for approximately seventy-five thousand 
kilometres."
     "Analysis."
     "Is appears to be some sort of disturbance in the local 
continuum."
     "Any idea what it is?"
     "No, sir.  I've never seen anything like it before."
     Before Picard could say anything else, Enterprise-C was 
hailing.
     "Go ahead, Commander."
     "Captain, we've picked up a space-time distortion in our 
vicinity."
     "Same here, Number One.  It's something new, not in the 
memory banks."
     "New for you, sir, but not for us.  The energy pattern 
matches the one preceding Enterprise-C's disappearance."
     "Captain!  Look!"
     The viewer showed a spreading blank spot in the starfield.  
More were appearing all around the trio of ships.
     "Helm, keep us away from those!"
     "Trying, sir."
     The ship was now barely under control, lurching in constantly 
changing directions.  The reason she had yet to fall through one 
of the rips was due more to the fact that they were being pulled 
in too many directions at once, than because of any conscious 
effort on the part of the crew.
     "Commander Riker!  What's your status?"
     "Bad and getting worse.  We're scarcely holding station and 
the forces out there are getting worse."

     Riker's knuckles turned white as he tried to dig his hands 
into the armrest.  "We simply don't have the power to hold up 
against these tides, Captain."
     "I wish we could help, Number One."
     "Thanks anyway.  Riker out."
     Argyle was already at the bridge engineering station, having 
run at full speed from the lower decks when all hell broke loose.
     "Mr. Argyle, what's the status on the warp engines?"
     "Sir, they haven't been used in eighty years!  We can't-"
     "We don't have time for unnecessary caution, Argyle.  Can you 
bring the mains online?"
     The Lieutenant swallowed hard.  "Aye, sir."
     "Worf, prepare for full power.  Data, get me Kaibatsu."
     The ship heeled hard over, and it was all Riker could do to 
keep from being thrown.  The main lights went dead, and by the 
time the emergency lights came on, Riker knew what had happened.  
"Viewscreen aft."
     Sparks leapt from the ship's hull where the power and 
support trunks had been ripped clear.  Kaibatsu was being pulled 
away from her charge, and it was obvious that Enterprise-C would 
soon be following if something wasn't done.
     "Argyle, I want you down in engineering."
     "Aye, sir," he said simply, and hit the door at a dead run.
     "Number One, what's happening over there?"
     The supply ship began to tumble, faster and faster into the 
rip.  A wave of helplessness washed over Riker as Kaibatsu was 
swallowed whole.  Riker began to foster the hope that maybe she 
could return, as had the battlecruiser under Captain Romanov, but 
it was dashed.  Instabilities in the breakthrough ripped the 
vessel into a million glowing shards that were engulfed in fire as 
the magnetic containment on the anti-matter failed.
     "Enterprise," said Riker flatly, "we've lost Kaibatsu."
     But now Riker's ship was plummeting for that gaping maw in 
space.
     "No!  You can't have this one," he seethed at the viewscreen.  
"Full power, now!"
     "Aye, sir."  Worf touched the button over which his hand had 
been hovering for what seemed a very long while, indeed.  
     The whine of the energisers rose from its usual subsonics to 
a scream.  Riker and the others were almost hauled forward out of 
their chairs, and again power dimmed.  This time, however, the 
loss of power signified good.  The full power of Enterprise-C's 
transwarp engines came into play, dragging the ship out of the 
abyss.
     Argyle's voice was barely audible above the engine's noise.  
"Commander, we can't keep the warp drives online much longer.  The 
mix is highly unstable!"
     "Just a few minutes more ought to do."
     Argyle was almost frantic.  "But, sir!"
     Just then, another hole opened up in space, but it was one 
that they all recognised.  Data was the first to react.  "A 
wormhole!"
     Byproduct of an imbalanced warpfield, wormholes are 
impossible to avoid once they are created.  The ship shot forward 
into the swirling orange vortex, much to all their relief.  
This they could handle.
     "Worf, sublight now.  Argyle, disengage the warp drives."

     "Captain Picard, I've lost the battlecruiser on sensors.  
Picking up a new energy pattern, though.  A wormhole."
     "They must have tried the warp drive.  Helm, take us out of 
here, full speed, on their last known heading."
     "Aye, sir."
     The intensity of the disturbances had relaxed to an extent, 
and it was now feasible to warp out and avoid the remaining rips.
Enterprise galloped out of hell, leaving behind a multitude of 
rips in the fabric of reality.  Hardly a second later, she dropped 
out of warp, ready to scan for her comrade, but that turned out to 
be unnecessary.  The helmsman had managed to put her within a 
thousand kilometres of Enterprise-C.
     Picard opened hailing frequencies.  "Number One, I'm glad to 
see you escaped.  We were worried when we saw the wormhole."
     "Kaibatsu wasn't so lucky, Captain.  But I think that 
wormhole may have saved us."
     "What do you mean, Number One?"
     "It pulled us out of there.  I don't know if we would have 
survived by just blindly warping out of there."
     "I know what you mean.  We had quite a time skirting those 
dimensional chasms, even after some of them started to dissipate.  
I have a question, Number One."
     "What's that, sir?"
     "You mentioned tides before.  What exactly do you mean by 
that?"
     It was Data who responded.  "These rips seem to be an 
unnatural curve in space-time.  Since gravity is a function of 
normal curvature, these sudden changes result in abnormal 
gravitational tides."
     "What Cmdr. Data means, sir, is that it's part of the nature 
of these rips to suck in things like ships."
     "I see,  Then I guess-"
     "Wait a minute!  We have something on sensors, something in 
the rip zone."
     Picard whirled to face the upper half of the bridge.  "Do you 
have it?"
     "Sir, I don't-  Hold on.  There it is.  One...no, two.  
Three!  Three objects moving away from the center of the zone at 
high sublight velocity."
     "Commander, what's your status?"
     "We're only at sixty percent power, and we don't dare try to 
engage the warp drive again."
     "Not good."  The young woman at the tactical station, Ensign 
Hathoway, was waiting for something to do.  It came her way.  
"Open hailing frequencies to those vessels."
     "Aye, sir.  Channel open, Captain."
     "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise to 
unknown vessels.  Please identify yourselves and state your 
purpose.  Our intentions are peaceful; we wish only to establish 
communications with you.
     "End message.  Send on all frequencies, all known languages."
     "Aye, sir.

     "Commander Riker, Enterprise is trying to hail the 
unidentified ships."
     "What's the range?"
     "Two hundred thousand kilometres and closing."
     "Can you tell me anything about those ships?"
     "They do have warp capability, much like the pre-Transwarp 
engines used by Starfleet."
     "That makes their maximum speed about what?"
     "Assuming same efficiency, Ultrawarp factor four point four."
     "Not that fast."
     "Sir, this ship can only do Ultrawarp five point three."
     "Right now it can't even do that, Mr. Data.  What's going on 
out there?"
     "Still no response.  Range, one hundred seventy thousand 
kilometres."
     "Commander, this is Picard.  Can you raise shields?"
     "Mr. Worf?"
     "Aye, sir, but only main shields, not reinforcements.  And we 
can power primary weapons, the megaphasers."
     The battlecruiser mounted eight very heavy phasers of a 
calibre which was usually reserved for Starbases and stationary 
defense platforms.  Four were mounted forward, on the beam of the 
primary hull and also alongside the engineering hull mated to 
their aft firing counterparts.
     "Did you get that, Enterprise?"
     "Indeed, Number One.  I am ordering Yellow Alert."
     "Same here.  Mr. Worf, shields on standby."
     "Aye, sir."
     "Range is now closing through one hundred thousand 
kilometres."
     "Shields up."
     "New energy pattern, sir.  I believe they're arming weapons."
     "Red Alert.  Charge weapons.  Open a channel.
     "Unknown vessels, this is Commander William Riker of the 
Enterprise.  You are taking hostile action without provocation.  
Cease at once; we do not mean to harm you.  We-"
     "They're firing!"
     The three ships, moving as an equilateral triangle, fired a 
combined volley.  Energy lashed out in bright red beam across 
Enterprise-C's bow, striking hard against her partner ship.
     "Captain!"
     "They breached shields, Number One.  We're damaged."
     "Captain, get the civilians out of here, now!"
     "I can't leave you alone."
     "You have no choice, sir.  The civilians are more important.
     "Cut channel.  Worf, all shield energy forward.  Put us 
between them and the Enterprise."
     "Aye, aye, sir."
     "Prepare to fire."
     "Locked on to lead ship."
     Riker swallowed hard, wondering how things had come to this!  
"Fire all phasers."
     All four green lances converged at a single point on the 
target's hull.  Explosions ripped through the ship, breaking it in 
half before the individual pieces shattered into nothingness.  
Riker stared wide-eyed at the power unleashed by his ship.
     The two remaining hostile ships, which had begun pursuit of 
Picard's ship, now changed their minds and salvoed on the 
battlecruiser.  The ship lurched and the shields strained under 
the impact.
     "Shields critical, sir."
     "Fire one phaser to disable only."
     Another megaphaser shot burned through the blackness, slicing 
through the aft end of its new target, presumable near the 
engines.
     "A hit, sir.  She appears to be dead in space."
     The third ship was circling in, readying for a shot that 
would certainly have ripped through what was left of Enterprise-
C's shields like tissue paper.  But at the last minute, the Galaxy 
class ship moved in behind, a single photon torpedo striking the 
unknown vessel dead aft.  It, too, ceased hostilities.
     "This is Captain Picard to unknown vessels.  We would like to 
offer you any assistance needed.  We have room to take aboard 
survivors and facilities for your wounded.  Please let us help 
you."
     The answer came moments later.  The viewscreen automatically 
polarised against the blinding flash of one of the ship's self-
destruction.  Then the other followed.